Switch mechanism for automobile clocks



Dec. 22, 1953 SCHWEIGLERI 2,663,769

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR'AUTOMOBILE CLOCKS Filed May 28, 1949 52 53 0 37 l03 50 32 INVENTOR. '62 FRED R. SCHWE/GLER AT 'Y I switch and is pivotallymounted on the bracket by means of the stud 42 and the shoulder screw43. The stud is riveted to the bracket, while the shoulder screw passesthrough the lever and is threaded into the stud. The lever 39 has acontact 54 at one end adapted to cooperate with the contact 55 on lever38. At the other end, lever 39 has an arm 51 which is engaged byinsulator 41 when the switch is in open position, as shown in Fig. l.

The lever 39 is rotated on its pivot by the pin 24 previously referredto, which is fixed to the armature 20 and extends down between the twofingers of the fork 58 whichforms part of the lever. The lever 39 has alimited movement on its pivot, due to the provision of a pin which issecured to the lever and which extends downward into a slot in thebracket 38. The slot has the proper length to permit the requiredmovement of the lever 39 and no more.

The lever 38 also has a limited movement on its pivot, the extremitiesof which are determined by the engagement of contact 55 with contact 54when the switch is closed and by the engagement of insulator 41 with arm51 when the switch is open. The lever 38 is at all times urged towardeither open or closed position by the toggle mechanism of which it formsa part and which includes the spring 5| and the notched member 46.

The spring 5| includes a part which is pro- 1 vided with the solderingtab or car 52 and is clamped to the down turned end of bracket 30 bymeans of the rivet 53. The spring is insulated from the bracket andrivet by the insulators shown, inserted on opposite sides of the part I50 of the spring. As seen in the several figures of the drawings, thespring 5| is tensioned to the right to bear against the end of themember 48, which is supported between the curved end of the spring and anotch in the lever 38. Thus the spring is adapted to move the lever 38to either of its extreme positions with a snap action.

One end of the winding of the electromagnet I5 is connected to thespring clip 99 which is conductively connected to the binding post 6|.This binding post is insulated from the back plate [0 and is connectedto the live pole of the battery when the clock is installed in anautomobile. The other end of the winding is soldered to the ear 52 onspring 5i!-5l. When the switch is closed this end of the winding isconnected to the ground binding post 82 by way of spring 505l, member46, lever 38, contacts and 54, lever 39, bracket 39, and back plate [0.The ground binding post and the other pole ofthe battery may beconnected through the frame of the car.

The operation of the switch will now be described more in detail. Forthis purpose it will be assumed that a clock movement is assembled tothe motor mechanism and that the complete clock is installed andconnected up as described in the foregoing.

As previously mentioned, the spring 23 drives the clock by rotating thearmature 28 in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. l, the pawls 25 and26 performing the driving function by their engagement with a ratchetwheel which is part of the clock movement. The motor mechanism is woundor partly wound as seen in Fig. l. The switch is open, that is, thecontacts 54 and 55 are separated, and the electromagnet I 5 isdeenergized. The switch is held open by the spring 5! and member 48,which tend to rotate the lever 38 in a clockwise direction. Theinsulator 41 therefore bears against the arm 51 of lever 39 and tends torotate this lever in a clockwise direction, but the lever has reachedthe end of its movement in this direction due to the engagement of pin40 with the end of the slot 45.

As the armature 28 rotates under power supplied by spring 23 to drivethe clock, the pin 24 approaches and shortly engages the left handfinger of the fork 58 on lever 39. Further movement of the pin 24rotates the pivoted lever 39 in a counterclockwise direction, and lever39, due to the engagement of insulator 4'! by arm 51, rotates thepivoted lever 38 in the same direction. The rotation continues until thepin 49 has nearly reached the end of the slot 45, at which time thetoggle mechanism 5l4638 passes through dead center and the lever 38suddenly shifts or snaps over to the position in which it appears inFig. 2. In this position the switch is closed, that is, contact 55 is inengagement with contact 54. The lever 39 is at the end of itscounterclockwise movement, determined by the engagement of pin 49 withthe other end of slot 45.

When the switch is closed as described in the L foregoing, theelectromagnet I5 is energized and 'ture and to the delay in decay of themagnetization of the electromagnet. During this movement of the armaturethe pin 24 engages the right hand finger of the fork 58 and rotateslever 39 in a clockwise direction. Lever 39, due to the engagement ofcontact 54 with contact 55, rotates the lever 38 in a clockwisedirection, until the toggle parts again pass through dead center,whereupon lever 38 shifts over to its Fig. 1 position with a snap actionand opens the switch by separating the contacts 55 and 54. Theelectromagnet accordingly deenergizes, the pawls take a fresh hold onthe ratchet wheel, and the drive is resumed under power supplied by there-tensioned spring 23.

The fork 58 is so designed that when the switch snaps to open positionthe right hand finger clears pin 24, that is, moves out of the path ofthe pin, so that any further rotation of the armature that takes placecannot affect the switch.

The operation continues as described, the clock being rewoundperiodically by energization of the electromagnet under control of theswitch. The period depends on the adjustment of the parts and otherfactors, but preferably is on the order of about three minutes.

An advantageous feature of the switch is the wiping action which takesplace between the contacts 54 and 59 when the switch shifts from closedto open position. This tends to eliminate trouble caused by dirty orcorroded contacts.

Perhaps more important, however, is the feature referred to before,according to which the power for operating the switch or, morespecifically, for operating the toggle mechanism, is applied through theswitch contacts. The contacts do not open, therefore, until the partspass through dead center, and this point is passed under power with theelectromagnet fully energized. The arrangement thus insures a morepositive action than is possible with the Hobbs and other types oftoggle switches in which the switch contacts open before dead center isreached, and which depend, for passing through dead center, on theinertia of the armature and the delayed deenergization of theelectromagnet.

The invention having been described, that which is believed to be newand for which the protection of Letters Patent is desired will bepointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a switch mechanism, two switch members extending generallyparallel to each other, means for pivotally supporting said members forrotation about difierent axes, the pivot for each member being locatedat a point intermediate the ends thereof, means for rotating the firstsaid member on its pivot in one direction, whereby one end of said firstmember engages the corresponding end of the second member and rotatessaid second member, interposed insulating means to prevent conductivecontact between the said ends of said members, a spring acting on saidsecond member to continue the rotation thereof after it has been rotateda predetermined amount by said first member, a switch contact at theother end of said second member brought into engagement with a switchcontact at the other end of said first member responsive to saidcontinued rotation, and means for rotating said first member in theopposite direction to thereby rotate said second member by power appliedthrough said contacts, said spring being effective thereafter to prolongthe rotation of said second member to separate said contacts.

2. In a switch mechanism, two switch members extending generallyparallel to each other, means for pivotally supporting said members forrotation about difierent axes, the pivot for each member being locatedat a point intermediate the ends thereof, cooperating switch contactscarried on said members at corresponding ends thereof, an insulatorcarried on the other end of one said member and adapted for engagementwith the corresponding end of the other member, said pivots beinglocated far enough apart so that the second member has a limitedmovement on its pivot independent of the first member, means forrotating the first said member in one direction to apply force throughsaid insulator to rotate the second member, means for rotating the firstmember in the other direction to apply force through said contacts torotate said second member, and a spring acting on said second member andeffective whenever the said second member is rotated by said firstmember to prolong the rotation of the second member to thereby break theinitial engagement between said members and effect engagement betweensaid members at the other ends thereof.

FRED R. SCHWEIGLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,146,119 Hobbs Feb. '7, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 641,265 France Apr. 14, 1928

